2n = 66

2n = 66, c. 66

2n = 66

Plant at fl. 15–60 cm. tall. Stem stout, often > 3 mm. diam. Lf 6–10–20) mm. wide, channelled, thick and heavy. Infl. often > 6-fld. Per. 12–17 mm. long, us. between blue and pink with strong blue stripes, sts white with blue stripes, occ. clear pink overall. Sepels and petals sub-similar, rather broadly ovate, lateral sepals narrowest. Labellum distinctly more obovate. Column-arms us. higher than anther, flat, reddish, variously elaborated within one population of plants or even within one raceme; commonly the margins are thin, near the base red, toothed or even lobed (anteriorly or posteriorly or both), the upper teeth stretching out into branched fimbriae, also red, which gradually give way to much finer yellow fimbriae extending to the top of the arm; proportions of red to yellow, of teeth to fimbriae, of plain to ornamented margin seem quite unfixed, the simplest arm being short and thick with only a few small tufts of reddish hairs; post-anther lobe also variable, rarely taller than anther, its margin variously thickened or sts incurved or irregularly denticulate, us. dark reddish in its upper part and often edged with yellow, occ. ± tuberculate.